Gardening 2024

[bigretic]

I gave up on them. Always small and hardly got a few. Seems the plants died off too fast. Didn't do watermelon either but do have muskmellon that are doing so so.

I have watermelon going and honey dew. Time will tell, but the pumpkins have taken over.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I heard one of the garden-tubers, (I think Rustic Garden guy?) talking about starting to treat with fungicide to prevent early blight just prior to it "getting here." Said his Maryland early blight normally arrives mid-July? Does this coincide with the routine timing of early tomato blight here?

Do you all treat with a fungicide? Daconil? Monterey? Other treatments for blight and mildews like baking soda or milk or...

I used to have more trouble with blights on my tomatoes, back when I grew more heirlooms and before I moved my beds to a full sun location. I used to start using copper spray and Daconil about the time I put the cages on (about now), and spray every week or so through the season. The Daconil especially seemed to work well.

I think my beds being in the full sun helps a lot, and I saw a Youtuber who recommended a very thick straw mulch for tomatoes and I've been doing that for the past few years and I don't seem to get blight as much (knock on wood). I also run a soaker hose under the straw, so I never water tomatoes from above.

 

[Magyars]

I had tons last year. Many were used like your shortcake, freeze lots and a few times i took some to McDonald's where the gf is a manager. I get her to make me a couple REAL strawberry shakes. Can't stand the taste of the chemical tasting shakes.
Once the main flowers in the front beds go full bloom, then it will look great.

We had a great strawberry harvest...11 gallons or so. My wife made 14 jars of jam outta them. I'll be eating PB &J all winter!

 

[miguel]

I used to have more trouble with blights on my tomatoes, back when I grew more heirlooms and before I moved my beds to a full sun location. I used to start using copper spray and Daconil about the time I put the cages on (about now), and spray every week or so through the season. The Daconil especially seemed to work well.

I think my beds being in the full sun helps a lot, and I saw a Youtuber who recommended a very thick straw mulch for tomatoes and I've been doing that for the past few years and I don't seem to get blight as much (knock on wood). I also run a soaker hose under the straw, so I never water tomatoes from above.

Do you just get your straw at a big box store or is it cheaper from a feed store or what?

 

[bwframe]

I used to have more trouble with blights on my tomatoes, back when I grew more heirlooms and before I moved my beds to a full sun location. I used to start using copper spray and Daconil about the time I put the cages on (about now), and spray every week or so through the season. The Daconil especially seemed to work well.

I think my beds being in the full sun helps a lot, and I saw a Youtuber who recommended a very thick straw mulch for tomatoes and I've been doing that for the past few years and I don't seem to get blight as much (knock on wood). I also run a soaker hose under the straw, so I never water tomatoes from above.

I'm gonna take this and adapt it a bit. Been thinking of laying in a good batch of additional compost up the pruned tomato stems, then covering that with shredded cardboard/paper mulch.

I've also tapped a few 5 gallon buckets for trickle watering, we'll see how that goes.

 

[gassprint1]

Do you just get your straw at a big box store or is it cheaper from a feed store or what?

For years i have mowed and put the collected grass around and covered the garden. I started with using my 42" lawn sweeper and then got a 2 bin bagger on the rider. The grass works as a ground cover for keeping moisture in, but most importantly to keep the weeds away.

 

[snapping turtle]

I keep the leaves off the dirt on the tomatoes with pruning . This helps. I also leave room between plants for air flow. This helps. I also crush aspirin tablets in June and add them to my water routine. The aspirin seems to kick the plants naturally occurring defenses into gear before blight hits. This helps. I water the plant at the base and well before the setting of the sun so those leaves that do get wet dry before the evening cooling hits. This helps.

The second thing I have been doing is saving the pop up tomatoes from the compost pile edges. I plant them for a second growing and the blight seems to skip past them when the older plants start to get the brown crud and yellowing leaves.

With our high humidity in July and august the blight comes. Lower humidity less blight. Higher humidity higher blight. We attempt to do as natural in the garden as possible so not insect poison no man made fertilizer no fungicides (do not tell the wife I do use a couple non organic fertilizers)

Blight comes. I can be overcome but it is in the soils naturally Do not compost the effected plants. As a rules of thumb many of my nightshade plants get burned in the fire pit the rotten tomatoes get thrown at the edge of the fence row towards the neighbors

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Do you just get your straw at a big box store or is it cheaper from a feed store or what?

I got mine from a pet & garden place in Muncie. It's expensive to get straw from a place like that, but typically only use one bale a year or so.

 

[snapping turtle]

Had some slight wind damage to the garden when the morning storms rolled in. Readjusted a few things and stuck a couple of extra stakes where I had issues.

i ate my first tomato yesterday for lunch. Fourth of July tomato was the variety and it was small about four times the size of a cherry. There were two ready. All beets from spring we canned. Next planting we will do some more as they are great for BBQ sides.
summer squash going crazy and cukes coming along. I did see a yellow cherry tomato. Weeded the corn. I took some blooms and a small pepper off of a few pepper plants that look a bit stunted.

I purchased new green bean seeds. I will plant the Fourth of July. Corn first planting is knee high and second planting again will be Fourth of July. I have carrots in one bed and the rest of the spring plants from it are gone. So I need to prep it back out for fall planting. The cabbage and broccoli area is going to be finished soon so there is a second bed. Then there are the two beds in the middle of the garden that did not get finished this spring. We get a cooler (cloudy I will settle for ) day these will get the concrete blocks placed and filled.

 

[miguel]

I had all the strawberries I wanted and the kids both came and picked. They have been done for a week or two. I froze up snow peas and sugar snaps as I couldn’t eat them fast enough. I am just about ready to eat something else. I should have a cabbage head ready to pick here shortly as it feels pretty hard. Actually 2 already are.
‘I have 2 zukes that should be ready soon. First one rotted. The early corn is looking great. The pole beans have started vining up my trellis nets. the white half runners haven’t started to bloom. I had my first meal of new potatoes tonight with snap peas. Still have lettuce doing good, the head kinds.

Do you just put them in zip lock bags to freeze or do anything special to prepare for freezing?

 

[Expat]

Do you just put them in zip lock bags to freeze or do anything special to prepare for freezing?

The peas? I blanched them for 3 minutes, then used a vacuum sealer.

 

[miguel]

I should learn to can, but it seems like freezing would be easier, as long as your power never goes out.

 

[snapping turtle]

I should learn to can, but it seems like freezing would be easier, as long as your power never goes out.

Freezers fill fast. Freezer burn happens. Canning ( water bath) will do a lot itself. Pressure canning will do everything. I do the pressure canning at the house wife does the rest.

We have a big front opening freezer. Used to have chest freezers. With a chest whatever you need is always at the bottom.

Remember now is the time to get the free black raspberry picks in before the birds get them all.

 

[bigretic]

I don’t know what the deal is. The pumpkins are yellow.?

 

[Magyars]

I should learn to can, but it seems like freezing would be easier, as long as your power never goes out.

We do a lot of canning , chicken, ground meat, whole main course meals, fruits and vegetables, jellies and jams....

 

[bwframe]

We do a lot of canning , chicken, ground meat, whole main course meals, fruits and vegetables, jellies and jams....
View attachment 361530

Canning is an invaluable skill we all need to have.

Freeze drying and dehydrating are great, but if the power goes out you have to have means save the freezer contents. Your porch propane cooker, an American pressure canner, jars, lids and a dab of salt can make a catastrophe fixable.

Not to mention, in a power down scenario, you can be eating like a king, while some are figuring how to dispose of their spoilage and how far to drive to the nearest fast food.

 

[stocknup]

Harvested our garlic today . Got some pretty nice sized heads .
Some of our onions are just about ready . They are not as big as last years and the other beds planted the same time are way behind this bed . They do get less Sun .
Have been picking quite a few cherry tomatoes , lots of green tomatoes on the vine and have picked a few peppers .
All of our Pumpkins, Zucchini, Squash , and Cucs look good but are behind a bit as we got them in the ground a bit late .
Have already picked all our Radishes, early lettuce , sugar peas , and broccoli .
Potatoes look awesome ( at least above ground )

 

[Leadeye]

The gardener started digging potatoes she started in February, they made an excellent potato salad.

 

[bwframe]

...
Some of our onions are just about ready . They are not as big as last years and the other beds planted the same time are way behind this bed . They do get less Sun .

View attachment 361642
...

I'm having much better onion results in full sun this year. A few smaller mixed in with some very good ones...





These are the sweet candies, just beginning to fall over. The walla walla's are still upright and a bit bigger.

 

[bwframe]

I'm thinking I'll wait a week or so longer on the garlic harvest? I just pulled a couple more fresh scapes yesterday. I have some browning on the leaves, but it's not necessarily coming from the ground up. Hoping the cloves are still growing after scape removal?